© Bruce McNitt/Panoramic Images (Virginia)
VDACS Office of Farmland Protection
Recognizing the significance of the loss of agricultural land and forests and the negative impact it would have on the state, the 2001 Virginia General Assembly established the Office of Farmland Preservation within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help reverse the trend. The General Assembly charged the Office with four important missions:
* To work with other governmental and private organizations to help establish local purchase of development rights (PDR) programs by creating model policies and practices, establishing criteria to certify programs as eligible to receive funds from public sources, and determining methods and sources of funding for localities to purchase agricultural conservation easements
* To create programs to educate the public about the importance of farmland preservation
* To help farmers with farmland preservation efforts
* To administer the Virginia Farm Link program